Unprecedented Piedmontese trip for myself, who happened to be in Turin for the first and (to date) only time many years ago, to visit – obviously – the Egyptian Museum on a trip with the fourth graders. Centuries later, here we are again, welcoming the return of the gods to our parts Vicious Rumors, on tour to celebrate forty-five years of history, and arrived in Italy for a triptych of dates up and down the north and center of the country. Accompanying them this evening are two local bands, or rather… both from the beautiful Emilia-Romagna: the legendary Crying Steel hey Hell Alley. It was precisely the latter who had the task of opening the dance in a welcoming room Ziggy Club, which filled up discreetly throughout the entire evening. The solid proposal of the Romagna combo, balanced between classic heavy metal and hard rock with alternative hues, immediately captured our attention, thanks to a compact and cohesive live performance. Essential, straight to the point and attentive to the melody: realities to keep an eye on and follow, perhaps taking advantage of the fresh release of the new ‘Circles’, published this Friday 31 May by Rockshots Records. We now move to the capital, to Bologna which at the beginning of the 1980s gave birth to Crying Steel, one of the most appreciated and respected acts within the colorful Italian scene. Left without a singer just a few days before the show, our band quickly took action by contacting the good guy Tiziano Sbaragliknown to most for his militancy in the Angel Martyr. A few tests, just a few adjustments on the first songs and off we go… we’re off to a great start to put together a tailor-made concert, dedicated to the timeless masterpiece ‘On The Prowl’, a seminal album that has nothing to envy of the works released across the Channel at the end of that decade . One after the other, monstrous songs such as the driving ‘No One’s Crying’ and the poetic ‘Changing the Direction’ were re-proposed, true milestones on which much of the made in Italy metallic tradition rests. An ecstatic audience supported the five for the entire duration of the set, loudly encouraging Tiziano and the historic members Luca Ferri – tireless plunger behind the skins – e Franco Nipoti, this evening even stronger than a discomfort in his fingers that could have compromised the success of the show. This was not the case, because when passion and sacrifice meet, there is none for anyone, not even for various pains and small temporary health problems. There’s just so much to learn from these indomitable lions, perfectly at ease on and off the stage, and absolutely available to give souvenir photos, autographs, or even just an opportunity to have a chat with those present. A pleasure to have found them in such good shape… we hope to cross paths again soon. After this home-made quality binge, we ideally move to the other side of the ocean, ready to perish under the fatal blows inflicted by Vicious Rumors in better shape than ever. Okay, Larry Howe left the band; ok, the line-up continues to change, with old and new members taking turns, passing around the cumbersome figure of the leader Geoff Thorpe… Who cares! Today the Americans – who welcome the return behind the microphone of the prodigal son Brian Allen – were the protagonists of an exceptional performance, exuding adrenaline and warmth and capable of eliminating the distance between the audience and the band. On several occasions, in fact, a wild Brian crossed the boards of the stage to come and sing with us, surrounded by a rabble of cheering metalheads and absolutely captivated by a setlist centered on the masterpiece ‘Soldiers Of The Night’, but which wisely touched on all the apex moments of Vicious’ infinite career, seamlessly spilling explosive mines like ‘Abandoned’, ‘Digital Dictator’ and ‘Don’t Wait For Me’. A great metal party shook the walls of the Ziggy Club for one night, today the scene of a celebratory ritual of what is music as we understand it, far from the spotlight and the big stages, but experienced one hundred percent by artists always ready to get involved and never take anything for granted, even decades after the first tests in some garage or basement lost here and there between California and Emilia-Romagna.
